American Pie
by Authoressinhiding
Summary: [Complete] Long ago, a songwriter included the words 'cause the players tried to take the field the marching band refused to yield. Where did his inspiration for that come? R&R please.


Many have listened to Don McLean's "American Pie" and wondered where his muse for "'cause the players tried to take the field; the marching band refused to yield." came from. The marching band of John Phillip Sousa High knew.

Few schools were like J. P. S. High. At that place of education, band was not just part of the school's program. It **was** the school. Everyone began to play an instrument in preschool. Sports were taught as well, but band was always favored.

Then, a new principal came to the school. He loved sports and thought little of band. Band was now a choice option and began in high school. The band's performance went from awesome to abysmal. Though their school happened to be 6a, the band could have belonged to a 1a school, it was so small. Things continued along this line until T. P. Schwartz.

T. P. stood for Thomas Payne. Tom, as he was often called, had been a fervent bandie since his freshman year. This year he was a senior and the chief drum major. Band was louder, prouder, and angrier than ever under his influence. Before Mr. Spiegmelhiemer, that of course was the principal's name, could do anything, band was a major school activity. Things were still under his control, however.

All this changed upon the return of Jayde Javenson. Jayde had been the chief drum major the year before Mr. Spiegmelhiemer, and had gotten a musical scholarship to some well-known university. It doesn't matter which one. She was now fully qualified to be a band director and took over from Mrs. Robson, the old one. She changed band back to beginning in middle school; that was as far as she could press for the moment. Miss Jayde, as most bandies called her, was tall, slim, dark of hair, pale of skin, and green of eye. She could play the flute, saxophone, various percussion instruments, and the trombone by her senior year. Now, of course, she could play almost every instrument.

T. P. fell in love with her at once. Jayde sensed this, but left him alone. Lovesick drum majors were the least of her problems. Unfortunately, Jayde was wrong.

Throughout marching season, Jayde had major and minor victories. She got a band room built for the middle school, forced the principal to recognize the band's successes, and spent an entire weekend going through the old band's history. Miss Javenson became renowned in the teachers' lounge for "sticking it to the man", or for standing up to Mr. Spiegmelhiemer.

Pep assemblies became more fun under the combined powers of Mrs. Kally, the cheerleading coach, and Miss Javenson. The school flourished as band gradually moved out in the open. It was more obvious now. Only one band member was unhappy.

T. P. Schwartz grew more and more dissatisfied as Jayde ignored his crush. He was passionate in all that he did. Jayde was very pretty. The thought that she was six years older and a teacher deterred T. P. not at all. He had to get her attention somehow. All the tension was building up. At the homecoming game, it peaked.

Just days before, Jayde had said, "This school's band used to be big, bold, and brave. It ought to be so again." The senior took that to heart. He made plans and convinced, forced, and blackmailed band members and color guard to complying with them. The band director remained oblivious all the while. She continued with early morning and twice a week in the evening practices. Their field show, which was a medley of music from some extremely old Disney movies got better and better.

On homecoming night, the John Phillip Sousa High School Anacondas played the Catville High School Lions. At halftime, they were tied. The Lion Pride Marching Band's show was great. _No wonder they do so well at contests,_ thought Jayde. Then it was her band's turn. The field show had never gone better. However, when it was over, instead of marching off the field, the band just started over at the show's beginning

Miss Jayde Javenson had never been so shocked. She didn't see T. P.'s look of evil triumph. She could not watch the football players try in vain to retake their field, only to be attacked by the band. She did not view any of this; Jayde was blissfully unconscious.

This escapade reached the ears of many, far and wide. It was published in newspapers, seen on TV shows, and became a nine-week's wonder. More like a nine-year's wonder, in fact. Someone sent a tape of the halftime to CBS and NBC. Both showed it on the air.

Jayde was facing being fired. Yes, the superintendent believed her about it (the fiasco) not being her fault, but she was still in trouble.

"She should have her band better controlled!" yelled Mr. Spiegmelhiemer.

It was at last discovered that Thomas Payne Schwartz had engineered the mishap. He was suspended, and the principal considered expelling him. It sounded so good, yet was his crime large enough? Mr. Spiegmelhiemer couldn't expel someone without a very good reason, even if he really really really really really really really really wanted to. (Add about a trillion really's in, and that's how much he longed to expel T. P.) All the other teachers felt sorry for Jayde.

She was having a mental breakdown. It was her first year teaching, and this just had to happen. She took two weeks off for "personal leave" due to "undisclosed reasons". She spent the first week crying and the second planning how to reestablish control of her band program. When Jayde came back, there was an evil glint in her eyes as she faced her band.

"What you did was wrong. You - the band – have no right to attack the football players. None at all. Things will be getting extremely strict from now on. Do you understand me?" she lectured. Her wrathful tone warned the students that their laid-back teacher meant business.

And so, years passed. Don McLean saw the tape on the news and later put it into his "American Pie."

"So bye-bye, miss American pie.

Drove my chevy to the levee,

But the levee was dry.

And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye

Singin', 'this'll be the day that I die.

'This'll be the day that I die.'"


End file.
